


only one thing got me huffing

by snoopypez



Category: due South
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-10-10
Updated: 2014-10-10
Packaged: 2018-02-20 13:50:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,422
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2431169
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/snoopypez/pseuds/snoopypez
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“How do you get lost in Illinois?!”</p><p>“I didn’t hear <i>you</i> stopping me from taking that wrong turn!”</p><p>“Turn? Try <i>turns</i>, plural. Moron.”</p>
            </blockquote>





	only one thing got me huffing

**Author's Note:**

> originally posted on livejournal in 2009

“Moron, you just _had_ to stop, didn’t you?!”

“What, you rather my bladder _explode_? There’s no pissing allowed in the Goat, Vecchio!”

“Just shut up and get us going the right way.” Ray was not amused. At all. His newest Riv was _so close_ to being ready for the road; all she needed was one little part, the perfect alternator, and she’d be golden.

After three months, he finally got word of a guy in Macomb who had it.

“Don’t get all bossy with me, Vecchio; you’re the one who begged me to come. I’m doin’ this outta the kindness of my _heart_.”

And then there was that. Because Ray didn’t have a car for the time being, he needed a ride. And okay, he and Kowalski didn’t really get along fantastically, but they worked well together and didn’t _hate_ each other or anything. So he figured they could handle a four hour drive.

Ha.

Okay, so maybe Ray hadn’t been thinking clearly. Maybe he should have remembered that tensions had been rising between the two of them for the past few weeks, ever since that weird moment when they ended up in each other’s personal space – which wasn’t anything new, really, but they had been trying to go through a doorway and ended up _really_ close, face-wise and it was _weird_. They had just kind of stared at each other for a long moment and Ray could suddenly feel this _heat_ coming off Kowalski’s body and Kowalski’s hand was almost right there pressed against his _thigh_ and—

And that was why Ray had been determined to forget it. But apparently that was a stupid idea when going on a long car ride in an enclosed space. With the person the awkward moment actually happened with. Because that way led to even more awkwardness, especially when you got _lost_.

In your home state, the place you both lived for most your lives.

Lost for – going on thirty minutes now.

Ray was pretty sure they were going to cross into Iowa at some point.

“How do you get lost in Illinois?!”

“I didn’t hear _you_ stopping me from taking that wrong turn!”

“Turn? Try _turns_ , plural. Moron.” That made it the...five hundred time Ray called Kowalski a moron in the past hour, probably. Give or take a hundred.

They finally pulled off at a rest stop, resigned to actually _asking_ for _directions_. But they went back to the car with no new knowledge, unless you counted now knowing that the people that hung around rest stops were creepy and probably needed their records checked.

Complete waste of time.

Back on the road, hopefully going the right way, Ray started going through the glove compartment.

"Where's the map?"

"Don't got one."

Ray gave Kowalski a _that's bullshit_ look. "Every car's got a map, Kowalski."

"Not this one. Burned it for heat," Kowalski said as if that made any sense at all.

"You burned it for—what, were you lost in the _tundra_ before?"

"Hey, you go on a spondaic camping trip with Fraser, you bring whatever you can find," Kowalski replied, and okay, except for the word choice, that actually made sense. Really, just the word _Fraser_ would have been all the explanation needed.

Ray was about to close the glove box when he noticed something odd.

"What's this—"

"Hey! Hey hey, get outta there!" Kowalski demanded, all of his cool gone in a second. He lurched to the side, trying to shove Ray back. He was practically crawling into Ray's _lap_ , what the hell?

Before Ray could say anything though, he noticed that the car was swerving more than it really should be, and oh look, an oncoming truck was headed straight towards them.

"Jesus, look out!!" he exclaimed, lunging towards _Kowalski's_ side now, hands flying to the wheel. The truck honked its horn, as if that ever helped anyone stop panicking for their _life_ , and the GTO righted itself into its lane again.

And now Ray was pressed all against Kowalski's side, hand almost on his partner's. Their fingers were _touching_. He turned his head, and yeah, there was Kowalski's face, an inch away.

He had a brief, crazy thought that since they had just had a near-death experience, maybe he should go for it. He wasn't _stupid_ , though, so he just leaned back to his own side, stared out the windshield.

Silence reigned. No, this wasn't uncomfortable at all.

"So...what are you hiding?" Ray finally asked, then realized how that sounded, what it could be implying.

Apparently Kowalski heard it, too. " _What_?!"

"In the glove. Whaddya not want me to see?"

Kowalski shot Ray a glare, which was good. It meant the weirdness had passed and they were on the way back to normal.

"Nothing. And it's none of your business anyway, so shut up."

Yeah, like that was possible.

"Come on, what is it? Don't be _embarrassed_ \--" and Ray reached for the glove compartment again. He didn't get it open an inch before the car pulled to a sudden stop on the side of the highway and Kowalski had a hand on his shoulder. Ray wondered if he should be defending himself from a punch or something, and then Kowalski's mouth was on his.

It was a long moment of shock before Ray shut his eyes and started kissing back. His hand was resting on Kowalski's knee and Kowalski was pulling him closer, fingers grasping the front of his sweater. Then – oh hey, there was a tongue in his mouth. Not his own.

And-- _Christ_ , it felt _good_ , kissing Kowalski. Like maybe he should have done it earlier type of good. They were really getting into it, and Kowalski's hand was moving down, sliding over Ray's stomach slowly in this maddening sort of way and if they didn't stop for air, Ray would either die or force his partner's hand even lower. And that was – it was nice, a really good thought, but it was also kind of sudden and _insane_ , so he pulled away, gasping for breath.

Kowalski didn't look like he was in any better shape, face flushed and lips kiss-swollen and wow, Ray already wanted to dive right back in.

"Uh..." There were so many things that probably needed to be said. Important things. What he _did_ say was, "Does that sign say Macomb, next exit?"

Well that was weird.

Kowalski looked over his shoulder, pulled back onto the road. They drove in silence through Macomb, Ray only speaking to give the address where they were headed.

"Be back in a second," he said, climbing out of the GTO.

When he got back, alternator in hand, Kowalski was sprawled in the driver's seat, head back, eyes closed. Cigarette between his lips.

Ray wasted no time opening the door, leaning in and exclaiming, "What the hell are you doing?!"

Somehow, Kowalski managed to catch the cigarette before it landed on his shirt when it fell from his mouth. He hastily put it out against the window, which probably wasn't the best way to _do_ that, then tossed it outside.

"What, you can't warn a guy?!"

"How was I supposed to know you'd _need_ one?" Ray slid in his seat, waving a hand around as if getting rid of the smoke, even though both windows had been mostly down the whole time. "Since when do you smoke?"

"Used to, before." Kowalski answered, stretched to put the carton and lighter in the glove department. Oh. "Kinda...started again."

"'Cause you just can't live without the lung cancer?"

That earned Ray a death-glare.

"It helps ease _tension_ , okay?" The car roared to life. It was just starting to get dark, and hopefully they wouldn't have any more issues getting back to Chicago, especially since there were signs for the city _everywhere_. Talk about an ego hit.

"Tension," Ray repeated. He studied Kowalski, who just nodded. Tensely. "Uh, work tensions, or—" Or the same kind that Ray was feeling recently? "Or what?" he finished lamely.

Kowalski was steadfastly not looking at Ray. In fact, he was watching the road with the kind of focus he only really had about once a week, so Ray sighed and took a shot.

"Y'know, I don't kiss smokers." _That_ got Kowalski to look at him. "It's gross," Ray added nonchalantly. "For the future, or whatever."

There was a pause, then Kowalski said, all relief under a cover of smug, "I knew you liked it."

Ray was pretty sure he could throw out the cigarettes.


End file.
